Australian quick Megan Schutt has been given a two-match suspension for a medication violation
Australia’s Megan Schutt (PTI Photo) Australian fast bowler Megan Schutt has been given a two-match ban for failing to comply with prescription drug requirements, Cricket Australia (CA) said on Thursday.The 33-year-old will miss Australia’s third and final T20I against New Zealand at North Sydney Oval on Thursday, as well as the Adelaide Strikers’ Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) opener against the Melbourne Stars on October 31.Cricket Australia clarified that the breach involved a single incident that occurred outside of competition and was unrelated to performance enhancement. The suspension applies to both international and domestic cricket.
Cricket Australia is clarifying the nature of the breach
In a statement, the CA said the offense involved failure to follow medical instructions governing prescription drugs.“The breach was a failure to comply with the requirements under the Sports Science and Sports Medicine Guidelines in respect of prescription drugs,” Cricket Australia said.The governing body also emphasized that the incident was isolated and occurred outside of a competitive environment.“This (violation) relates to a single incident that occurred outside of competition and was not for the purpose of performance enhancement,” CA added.The suspension means Schutt will be unavailable for Australia’s T20I series against New Zealand and will also miss the start of their domestic campaign with the Adelaide Strikers.
Schutt accepts the sanction and apologizes
Schutt accepted the suspension and apologized for failing to meet the standards expected of players representing Australian cricket.“I fully accept the sentence and apologize for not meeting the standards expected of me. I regret the attention this has caused and I appreciate the support I have received,” Schutt said in a statement.The fast bowler acknowledged that the players were regularly instructed on the relevant guidelines and accepted responsibility for following them.“Even though this happened out of competition and was not performance related, I understand that I am responsible for following the sports science and sports medicine guidelines that players are regularly educated on and I should have followed those guidelines,” she added.CA said it would continue to provide appropriate support to Schutt while strengthening the standards and responsibilities expected of every game representative.
The suspension follows ODI’s impressive line-up
The ban comes after Schutt enjoyed an excellent ODI series against Bangladesh, finishing as player of the series after taking 10 wickets at an average of 7.1.Her absence is a setback for Australia ahead of the T20I final against New Zealand, while the Adelaide Strikers will also have to cope without the experienced paceman for their WBBL opener.The suspension is limited to two matches, with CA’s statement making it clear that the incident was not related to performance-enhancing purposes.
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